The Long Wait

“The Long wait was so Long

Thus came the Last breath”

These two lines suddenly came from my mouth in a different context yesterday night. Today morning I received two death messages. Two of them were ailing since long, long time. One was my Aunty and the other was my manager’s father. Every time they almost announced – shall die in a few hours, but they emerged back to life and of course but not of a normal life, but still ailing. The wait for their death was too long.

I feel such people are innumerable in number in the whole of the world. The near and dear ones taking so much care though, but would be waiting for their death, as continuance of the situation would still worsen their health.

Some lines are such, you can take them in many situations, and these are one such. The Long wait may be a child’s settlement in Life, the child’s job or job hike, parents waiting for children’s marriage, a share in the family property, a prolonging court case. All such sorts..

The long wait is so long that we keep waiting and waiting for it to happen but it does not occur and at last comes the last breath. Not going much into what all situations and contexts we all have, I conclude as everyone have their own. Rest, in the comments please. Hahaha!

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38 thoughts on “The Long Wait”

I’m sorry for your loss Shiva! But some deaths are better than the life these people would’ve otherwise had, the pain and suffering from ailing is rather sad and in such cases I hope for quick painless deaths rather than prolonged lives.

Sorry for the loss. May there soul rest in peace!! That’s life!! True at times life becomes so difficult to sustain that is better cure!! We all have experienced the same situations among the known ones!! Wish the next life is good and healthy!!

I was my mother’s home hospice nurse last 6 weeks of her life. The agency gave me a quick training and nurses and doctor visited routinely. The attendants would say it was going to be today, and the next day that it would be today and so the next day. Although unconscious she refused to leave father and me. One nurse said the tell her that it was OK to go, that she would be with her deceased family and that father and I would be well. I doubt she could hear me but she died a few hours later. About half an hour after death a tear form and fell from her left eye. That was 2012 and haunts me till this day. She still comes to father in dreams almost every day and it is disturbing to him. She continues to send me little signs and I feel an eerie presence. The psychiatrists and psychologists say these things are not real or possible, that it his mere wish for connection and unresolved grief. However, if loved one’s continue to touch us in ways from the other side, you know it is very real indeed. For example , mother died on September 19. I often play the three number lottery playing 9-1-7. I have one about 20 times over the years , each ticket paying $500 and at several times purchased several tickets a day . I’ll let others speculate as to what’s going on. I know.

Mich this is the horribility of life.
From my side both were 84 years old almost 70 years older than the poor child.
We are left with nothing, but to pray for their peaceful rest in their abode.
Thanks
Shiva

Jacqueline you said it beautifully, living in waiting. Hahaha!
I am put at another loss since so many days I have not visited you and have lost reading all your posts. I have remembered so many times to visit you, but something would crop. The number of times remembered has been so bad, it would have been better if I would have visited you. Hahaha!
I shall come with a bang, you know that. Hehehe!
Shiva

The long wait…..My husband has had four friends die in the past month. Two after longer illness(a few months) and two after short illness.( a couple of weeks) All went in peace and prepared for the departure. He has one other friend who has been diagnosed with terminal illness for the past two years. He is now in hospital living out his last few days. Of all of them he is the only one who is fearful and clutching to life. Perhaps for him the wait has been too long?

A relative of my family was a retired emergency room nurse. She had no doubt seen many deaths and told another relative who was complaining about losing his wife that she had ‘a right to die’. In other words, we must think of what’s better for the person who’s ill and suffering. I’m sorry for your loss. My husband who died in February was 86 and in pain. I feel he’s now resting in peace. —- Suzanne

Oh ma’am sorry to know the death of your dear husband who was in pain. Accepting the fact of death of our dear ones is one truth of Life which makes slowly to understand life itself wholly. OMG!
Shiva🎶

My condolences dear Shiva. Even in a situation when it’s best for the person who takes that last breath, it is still a sad experience for the ones ‘left behind’. Rest in Peace, I wish your loved ones do, and may those who are ‘left behind’ find Peace in the loss too.

Dear Shiva, a bit late to respond to your post. Some posts I read again and again to grasp and ponder on the deeper message and yours are one of them. Accepting the concept of life as a circle from birth to death isn’t easy at times, yet very much an amazing teaching once we understand it. Suffering pain can easily distract from our purpose of living and being as a physical body on this earth, yet there is so much more to it. Our physical body is just an illusion of our mind, yet it takes awareness to wake up from this and living in gratitude.

Thanks so much Cornelia for one of the most lovely and insightful comment I have received so far.

You need not apologize for being late to come here. In the beginning I used to feel for some selective friends to come to me and read my posts and comment, now I am used to it as I myself is not in a position to visit all the hundreds of beautiful friends like you on WP. Time is the most important constraint. Past few months my routine had been shattered and scattered.
Like you even I read repeatedly some posts and would even take time to comment on some of the posts having deeper message.
Coming to the Post here, what you have said every word I acknowledge. You have gone into the most inner realms and have said in just few lines. I am delighted.

It so happened the previous day when we were sitting causally in my friend’s home. I just jokingly said to his son to bring a big TV for the family, if you delay it may so happen that “The Long Wait……….” next day I received the two death messages. Those two dear ones at last took the last breath.
That is why I say these two lines can be used in many contexts.
In the next two posts there is a discussion of them.
Please go through those posts and join the discussion. I am overwhelmed when friends like you come and comment. It gives a sort of satisfaction and happiness.
I deeply thank in gratitude to all of you here on WP.
Hugs
Shiva🎶

Dear Shiva, thank you so much for your very kind reply. It makes me very happy that we can share the delightfulness of deeper thoughts. I mean that this all of the purpose of all our connections, to be inter connected. That’s the teachings of Buddha I’m following and embracing every day, it maybe successful or not each day, but at least I have gained the awareness of the purpose of my human being and I am so very grateful for that. I thank you again and send you hugs as well. Cornelia

I had almost decided to come to You and inform that I have responded to your comment above, I was beginning to understand that you might have not received the message.

It is so good to know of the delightfulness of your deeper thoughts.

To make you know of the fact, in my this journey of Life I have been coming across various schools of thoughts, Buddha being one. Being an Indian that is one advantage we get to know here of the various teachings.

Leaving it aside, it feels so good to know that you have gained the awareness of the purpose of being human and that you are grateful of it.
Cornelia! I am glad to have come across your friendship and that we could however exchange our thoughts whenever possible.
I personally like always to share my time, experience and knowledge with like minded and people with the same wavelengths. You might have observed that I do not chat but discuss things here in WP. Apart from the virtual world even in real life terms I always see that my time is being used for good and better purposes.
You may go through the next two posts wherein we can have some discussions.
It is long time I have visited you, shall hop up in a couple of hours.
If you want I shall give you my email in case if you would want to discuss any further.
Hugs
Shiva🎶

Shiva, I don’t know how to thank you for your wonderful words, I am so happy to hear that you enjoy my work and thoughts. It is such a blessing to me coming across like minded souls like you, who take time to reflect on life and it’s purpose. Since I became a Buddhist, studying and living by his teachings, my life has become so much more full of joy, awareness and gratitude. I really cherish our connection and I would be pleased having your email address to stay in a deeper discussion and contact. Blessings to you and your soul. Best wishes from Cornelia

Hi Shiva, well I am from Germany, but living in the USA since 27 years, in Southern California. I believe the time difference from your and to my end is about 11 or 12 hours, going back in time from your time, if that makes sense. Have a great week.

My grandma, (nani) was 99 when she passed away last year. But it was a long wait. Thrice she had collapsed before and doctors had told us to prepare for her funeral but she bounced back. Weaker than before each time. We extend her to live but the pain that she was going through it was better she attained peace. But it eluded her. A fiercely independent lady was bed ridden and dependent and had to be put on diapers at night as her bowels weren’t in her control. She was a perfect example of Shakespeare’s ‘Seven Ages of a man’

Ranju I can catch and imagine every bit of what you have said of granny. 99 is not an ordinary number.
It is such a sigh of relief to the one who leaves and to those who have been left.
What a wonderful sequence of Life, isn’t?
Yes being a child like again is astonishing. 😃😇
Shiva🎶